The Magic of Oz. Chapter 13. THE OLD HUMBUG (Elementary)

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"Go on, go on with your story," said Dorothy. "How did you become the Great Wizard?" "I told them to build this city and my palace," the old man went on. "The good people did all I wanted them to do. And they did it all very well. The country was green and beautiful. I liked it very much. I called this new city 'The Emerald City'. I told the people to wear green eye-glasses. From that time on all was green for them." "But isn't all around here green?" asked Dorothy. "No, it isn't," answered the Wizard with a laugh. "Only the wall is green. But the good people think that they live in the emerald city. They think that my palace is made of emeralds, but it is made of glass. It was built many, many years ago. I was very young when the balloon brought me here. And I am an old man now. I don't want to be a humbug now. I want to go home. All this time the people liked me and were happy. But I was not happy here. I was always afraid of the Witches of the East and the West. They were very wicked and they could kill me very easily. It was a very happy day for me when your house fell on the Wicked Witch of the East and killed her. But there was another Wicked Witch, the Witch of the West. I was afraid of her. So when you came, I told you to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. I was ready to promise to do all you wanted me to do. But, dear friends, I am very sorry. I can't do what I promised you to do. Please, don't be angry with me!" "I think that you are a very bad man," said Dorothy. "Oh, no, my dear," said the old man, "I am not a bad man, but I am a bad Wizard." "But this is terrible," said the Tin Woodman. "Who will give me a heart?" "Who will give me some brains?" said the Scarecrow. "Who will give me some courage?" asked the Cowardly Lion. "And how can I get back to Kansas?" said Dorothy. "My dear friends," said the little man, "I must think about all that. During all these years I learned magic. I shall try to give brains to the Scarecrow, courage to the Lion and a heart to the Tin Woodman. And I shall try to send you, my brave little girl, back to Kansas prairie. Come tomorrow morning and we shall see. Only don't tell my people that I am a humbug." They promised him to keep his secret and went back to their rooms. They were happy again because they were full of hopes now.